Burries Named to Jerry West Award Preseason Watch Record

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (October 28, 2025) — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame introduced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2026 Jerry West Award on Tuesday and Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries was included on the checklist. The dynamic guard out of San Bernadino was a McDonald’s All-American as a senior and has been electrical in two exhibition video games for the Wildcats early this season. 

Burries helped lead Roosevelt High School to the CIF Open Division California State Championship final 12 months, scoring 44 factors within the championship sport.

The annual Jerry West Award, named after the late Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player, celebrates its twelfth 12 months by highlighting the highest taking pictures guards in Division I males’s school basketball. 

2026 Jerry West Award Candidates*

Brayden Burries, Arizona

Richie Saunders, BYU

Josh Dix, Creighton

Isaiah Evans, Duke

Xaivian Lee, Florida

Emanuel Sharp, Houston

Kylan Boswell, Illinois

PJ Haggerty, Kansas State

Otega Oweh, Kentucky

Ryan Conwell, Louisville

Seth Trimble, North Carolina

Anthony Roy, Oklahoma State

Jason Edwards, Providence

Ian Jackson, St. John’s

Solo Ball, UConn

Rodney Rice, USC

Mason Falslev, Utah State

Malik Thomas, Virginia

Wesley Yates III, Washington

John Blackwell, Wisconsin

*Players can play their manner onto and off the checklist at any level within the 2025-26 season.

Fans are inspired to take part in Fan Voting in every of the three rounds beginning on Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch checklist of 20 gamers for the 2026 Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards might be narrowed to 10, after which in late February, to simply 5. In March, the 5 finalists might be introduced to West’s household, Meyers Drysdale, and the Hall of Fame’s choice committees, the place winners might be chosen. The Selection Committees for the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards are composed of high males’s and ladies’s school basketball personnel, together with media members, head coaches, sports activities data administrators, and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2026 West and Meyers Drysdale Awards might be introduced on a to-be-determined date, together with the opposite 4 members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being introduced embody the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center). 

Previous winners of the Jerry West Award are Chaz Lanier, Tennessee (2025), RJ Davis, North Carolina (2024), Marcus Sasser, Houston (2023), Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (2022), Chris Duarte, Oregon (2021), Myles Powell, Seton Hall (2020), RJ Barrett, Duke (2019), Carsen Edwards, Purdue (2018), Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017), Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016), and D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).

Arizona opens the 2025-26 common season Monday, Nov. 3 in opposition to No. 3 Florida at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tip-off is scheduled for five:00 p.m. MST on TNT.